You don’t need to be an AI startup to raise. Lucra has $20M to prove it.
Quick Answer
Lucra, a white-label platform for gamifying loyalty programs, raised $20 million from ARK Invest, showcasing that AI branding isn't always necessary for funding.
Quick Take
Lucra, a white-label platform for gamifying loyalty programs, raised $20 million from ARK Invest, showcasing that AI branding isn't always necessary for funding. The startup focuses on turning friendly competitions into loyalty initiatives for brands like golf courses and arcades.
Key Points
- Lucra raised $20 million from ARK Invest for its loyalty program platform.
- The startup targets brands in eSports and recreational activities.
- ARK Invest previously faced losses in similar sectors but backed Lucra.
- Lucra's platform gamifies friendly competitions for customer engagement.
- The funding highlights a shift away from mandatory AI branding in startups.
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Slapping “AI” on your startup’s pitch deck is basically table stakes right now. When a founder raised $20 million from Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest for an eSports gamification loyalty startup without those two letters in the spotlight, it got us wondering how the conversation even started — especially when ARK had already been burned by a company operating in the same space.
On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Julie Bort sits down with Dylan Robbins, founder and CEO of Lucra, the white-label platform turning friendly competitions into loyalty programs for brands like golf courses, arcades, and pickleball clubs.
Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.
Topics
Theresa Loconsolo is an audio producer at TechCrunch focusing on Equity, the network’s flagship podcast. Before joining TechCrunch in 2022, she was one of 2 producers at a four-station conglomerate where she wrote, recorded, voiced and edited content, and engineered live performances and interviews from guests like lovelytheband. Theresa is based in New Jersey and holds a bachelors degree in Communication from Monmouth University.
You can contact or verify outreach from Theresa by emailing theresa.loconsolo@techcrunch.com.
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